Hemp Cultivation 101

Hemp is one of the most versatile, and lucrative crops that cultivators can access to date. For thousands of years cultivators have been growing hemp for its wide use across industry.

With the 2018 farm bill allowing crop growers to cultivate their own hemp legally now, many farm owners and cultivators are allotting large portions of their land to future hemp crops. If you are interested in cultivating your own hemp, whether on a large-scale or small-scale operation, you likely have some questions. Wondering where to buy hemp seeds on sale?

Let’s take a moment to break down the basics of hemp cultivation that any newcomer should consider and know.

Manage Expectations

It’s easy to get ahead of yourself, especially if you are someone who is prepared to dedicate 100+ acres of land to cultivating hemp.

However, when it comes to hemp cultivation, you really don’t want to set yourself up for failure. Cultivating hemp requires a healthy bit of trial and error. It’s always best to start on a smaller scale until you fully understand the cultivation process. Start with one or two acres instead, and grow from there.

Manage Your Soil

Hemp is a relatively simple crop to grow all things considered. However, it is a bit fussy about the soil that it prefers to thrive in. There is a popular myth that hemp can be grown anywhere, but that simply isn’t the case in practice. The ideal soil for a hemp crop should be a well aerated loam, with a slightly alkaline pH balance (between 7-7.5, no lower than 6).

Planting the Seeds

There are a few factors that you are going to want to consider when it comes to planting your seeds – mainly frost, and spacing. You want to plant your seeds after the final frost has passed.

Always consult your local farmer’s almanac if you are ever unsure when that is. Ideally you want to check the temperature of the soil about 2 inches beneath the surface.

Once the soil has reached 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit, you are good to go! Secondly, the spacing is going to be a factor. If you are intending to use your hemp for fibers, plant them close together. If you plan on cultivating the hemp for CBD, plant them with plenty of spacing for flowers to bud.

Keeping Your Crops Watered

Hemp needs plenty of moisture during the first 6 weeks of growth. After the flowering stage begins, it will require a bit less, but long bouts of dry periods will lead to dwarfing of the plant and stunting the crop.

On average, hemp crops will need 20-30 inches of water (i.e rainfall) during the lifecycle of growth. The bulk of that will be during the pre-flowing phase.

Providing the Right Nutrients For the Crop

You want to ensure that the soil has an organic matter of at least 3.5%, with the important nutrients being nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, and calcium. The levels of each will vary based on your desired outcome, but the nutrients remain critical all the same. It is important to research your strain of hemp, and soil conditions to determine how much of each nutrient you will need to add.

Harvesting Your Crop

The time of harvest will depend on whether you plan to use the hemp for fiber or CBD harvest. CBD hemp crops will typically become ready to harvest at 16 weeks, or when the flowers have fully ripened. Fiber crops will be available to harvest almost immediately after the early bloom. It’s important to know your desired crop purpose in order to know when to harvest.

The future of hemp as a viable source of income for cultivators looks incredibly bright. The CBD industry is projected to reach over $20 billion USD by the year 2022. There is no better time than now, it seems, to jump on board the hemp train. Just remember to do your research, take your time, and expect plenty of trial and error. Eventually, you too can be a master hemp cultivator!

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